TNA MT 40 36 Pt 2

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DEXOS
OF
-3-
sleep with my crew, the first since Sunday night so far as I
was concerned.
We turned out on the morning of the 30th May and by09.30
were lying in tow to H.M.S. "Jutland" with & navy whaler and
cutter. Jutland was one of the Dutch diesel engine cargo
boats taken over by the Navy and flying the white ensign and
would carry about 450 men, H.M.S. "Laudania" was a similar
ship. Both these ships carried Lewis guns fore and aft
for A.A.Defence.
I do not know what delayed our start, probably alterations
in the mine fields, but we lay on tow to Jutland until 15.30
outside Remsgate Harbour with occasional intervals of casting
off In order to carry officers from one ship to another lying
outside the Harbour. At about 15.30 we got going and, with
our own engines running at about 6 knots, westowed to Dunicirk
in about six hours (an average of about 12 knots). This
was a very uncomfortable trip as destroyers kept crossing and
passing at high speeds making a heavy wash and we had to try
and keep my boat sheered off to port while the cutter and
whaler were sheered off to starboard. Sometimes we came
together in spite of all our efforts but no damage was done
and the only injury sustained by anyone was when one of my
crew was at the wheel for a few minutes and a destroyer passed
very close and made such a wash that my boat was nearly put
on its beam ends and I bumped my shin badly on my deck cargo
of petrol cans.
We arrived at Dunkirk about dusk and turned along the
beach eastwards for a few miles before "Jutland" dropped
anchor. We cast off tow at once and I took the whaler and
We did not know
cutter in tow myself and dug out for the beach. It was
whether Jerry over
slightly misty as well as dark but it was not really a
troops would be on
dark night and visibility was not too bad. At first we
the beach, as it was
could find no life on the beach but after a short time
a long way East of
were hailed by Frenchmen and for a little while found
about 20 wellowe ship
Frenchmen only and made one or two full journeys back to the
cammy hading the alone.
boat with them. The procedure was to tow the whaler and
cutter to the beach and swing them round and cast off tow
in about 3'6" (my draught being 2'6"). The whaler then
dropped his grapnel and went in as close as he dared without
ounding the cutter and troops waded out to board them.
As soon as the two boats were full they called for the
motor boat and pulled up on the whaler' S graphel, I would
come past and take the whaler's buoy rope in passing and
swing out towards the ship which had to lie about three-
quarters of a mile out.
While the whaler and cutter were loading I patrolled
parallel with the beach, keeping as close as I dared without
grounding, 1t being essential that the motor boat should not
take ground as 1t was the only motor boat in that area
and the cutter and whaler had only four men apiece aboard
so that they were not in a position to row out to the ship,
except at great loss of time.
While patrolling my job was to pick up any swimmers or
waders and any odd craft which had put out from the shore,
there were seve al of these. After the first few loads
had been taken to the ship, all Frenchmen, a British officer
waded out and was picked up by me and reported that a whole
Division of British were waiting to be taken off a little
nearer Dunkirk town than we had been working.